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The man who loves the Downs: a profile of Richard Hannon
To say Richard Hannon has been Goodwood's most successful trainer in recent years may be true, but it doesn't begin to do him justice.
He hasn't just been the most successful handler to send runners to post on the South Downs. He has been almost twice as good as any of his challengers.
Two successive presentations to him of the Dick Hern Trophy, awarded to the trainer with the most Goodwood wins in a season, and now the strong likelihood of a third in a row this year, tell their own story.
Yes, his recent record at Goodwood is untouchable but to talk only about what he's done at one racecourse, or since 2008, doesn't tell a fraction of his story, which is one of sustained success at the very top level of racing.
Hannon, who is 65 this year, used to be a drummer with a rock band. But it's on racecourses across the land where he lets his horses make music now.
And not just now. He has been handling winners since the very start of a career in the sport which has so far lasted 40 years.
He first made racing sit up and take notice when his 50/1 shot Mon Fils won the 2,000 Guineas in 1973.
In each of the past 19 flat seasons, Hannon has notched more than 100 winners from his stables.
And if any of his rivals had a faint hope he might be winding down, such thoughts were dashed this summer when he passed that milestone faster than ever, on July 2.
In many ways, it is a surprise he has landed the trainers' championship only once. But 2010 has delivered new personal bests and could see him take the title again – certainly a successful Glorious Goodwood will help him on his way.
This year has seen him victorious in four Group One races - the Irish 2000 Guineas, Lockinge, St James's Palace Stakes and Prix Jean Prat.
It's why any Hannon horse running at Glorious Goodwood – and there will be a fair few of them, most notably, at the time of writing, Canford Cliffs in the Sussex Stakes – cannot be ignored by punters. Back Hannon's runners and, like the man himself, you will never be too far away fron your next winner.
Wiltshire-based Hannon, who has stables at Everleigh and Herridge, has a number of English Classic wins to his name, including three 2,000 Guineas and is highly regarded for the quality of some of the two-year-old horses he brings to the starting stalls. Last year alone, 65 of his two-year-olds won races.
An insight into how his success seems never-ending came as he reflected on a terrific 2009 season.
'Progress never sleeps and this is no time to rest on our laurels,' he commented.
His record number of winners is 182, achieved in 1993.
Hannon, who is again leading this year's trainers' championship by some distance, might be starting to think about when to retire, but he will leave his empire in good hands.
Son Richard junior, who will take over his licence, has worked alongside for several years, and already has quite a reputation himself in the business.
When the day does come for him to call it a day, the racetrack will be a poorer place for his departure from the scene.
And some of his fellow trainers might just be forgiven a sigh of relief.
This profile appears in Glorious, the exclusive 68-page guide to the festival produced by the Chichester Observer in conjunction with Goodwood racecourse. Get your copy at Glorious, or the Observer office in Eastgate Square, Chichester.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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